Re-elect

Kelly Edgar

Regional Councillor – 2018

Your Voice. Your Vote. Your Seat.

Many thanks to all the people that helped and supported me during this election.

We came very close amongst a large group of candidates. Your votes have made a difference and I believe that there is a great opportunity at Regional Council for new members to work together to accomplish many great things in the next few years.

Hello Everyone!

I’m Kelly Edgar and I am one of six Councillors representing you, the people of St. Catharines on Niagara Regional Council.

During this term of Council I have served on the Corporate Services, Planning & Economic Development and Public Works Standing Committees as well as the Culture Committee, Niagara Investment in Culture (NIC) Adjudication Committee, Smarter Niagara Steering Committee, Corporate Labour Relations Strategy Committee, and I Chair the Procurement Advisory Committee.

It’s no secret that these last four years have been filled with controversy in spite of the fact that we did get some good work done. Bringing the 2021 Canada Summer Games to Niagara and a promise of regularly scheduled Go Train Service leap easily to mind, but much of the good that has been accomplished has been mostly overshadowed by some of the questionable decisions, bad Councillor behaviour and the obvious divisiveness of this Council.

There is much work that needs to be done for the betterment of the Niagara Region and here’s how you can help.

Become knowledgeable about who is running for Council. Don’t just check a name because it sounds familiar to you. Find out who your candidates are. Talk to them. Find out if their opinions match yours on various issues. Find out if you think that you can trust them. Do they have integrity? Your candidates should be running for this position for the betterment of Niagara Region, not for their own personal
betterment nor that of their friends!

I’ve learned a lot during my time on Council. But most of what I have learned is that nothing you do matters unless you do it with honesty and integrity, both of which have been sadly lacking at times at Regional Council.

We need to change that! And we can, but it will be up to you, the voter in St. Catharines to take action to see that it’s done. Fill the Council seats for St. Catharines with people who feel as I do, that “Issues change. They come and they go, but integrity and honesty are forever.”

Remember, you can vote for any number up to six but make sure that whoever you vote for deserves that vote!

Honesty

Totally opposed to the idea of “Full Time Councillors” which would have evolved from the idea to institute “Dual Duty Councillors” in St. Catharines. Sometimes called “Double Direct”.

Voted against the hiring of the current CAO of the Region.

Support Ontario Ombudsman’s investigation of the CAO’s hiring process.

Accountability

Worked for several constituents on issues that they had, related to, for example, road work, waste management, homelessness, housing.

Voted in favour of a Value for Money Audit of the NPCA which was defeated.

Voted in favour of asking the NPCA to submit costs associated with severances, wages paid, wages paid in lieu of notice, retirement packages, arbitration, personnel court cases, bonuses, and damages to Regional Council by June 6th, 2018. (still haven’t received this report)

Voted against eliminating the Office of the Integrity Commissioner. (defeated)

Voted in favour of reinstating the Office of the Integrity Commissioner. (carried)

Integrity

Voted against a pay increase for Councillors (Feb 2015). (when the motion passed I donated my raise to the United Way and continued to do so for the remainder of my term.

Voted against allowing the Regional Chair to be Chairman of the CAO Recruitment Committee. I tried to get on this committee but was denied.

Voted several times to suspend a Councillor for inappropriate conduct

Voted several times against giving same Councillor a paid leave of absence

Voted to reprimand this Councillor

Voted to dock his pay for 30 days

Experience

Voted against expanding the size of Regional Council when West Lincoln asked to be allowed to add an additional representative.

Acted as Council Chair on a number of occasions

Chair of Procurement Advisory Committee

Knowledge

Voted against the Thundering Waters Development project

Voted in support of a joint proposal from Penn Terra Group and Bethlehem Housing and Support Services for the 111 Church Street affordable housing project.

Voted against considering the Huberman Report on the hiring of the CAO as closed

Voted in support of an election at large for the position of Chair of the Niagara Region

Vision

Voted in support of a better Regional Transit Service and consolidating the three transit services from St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls into one Regional Service.

Voted in support of the Go Transit initiative.

Voted in support of bringing the 2021 Canada Summer Games to Niagara

Voted in favour funding legacy projects post Canada Games

Voted in support of bringing the 2020 Canadian Brier Curling Bonspiel to St. Catharines.

Support Niagara’s Investment on Culture (NIC) grants and projects

Endorsements

Niagara District CUPE Council

“The Niagara District CUPE Council is proud to endorse Kelly Edgar running for Regional council in St. Catharines. Kelly has been a force for positive change on the council in recent times. He has also been supportive of workers in the Niagara region since being elected.”

Abbas Hamdani

“Kelly Edgar is an old friend of mine from my days in the Jaycees. He has always been involved in the community and will always fight for what he believes in. His honesty and integrity will never let you down and I encourage all of my friends, neighbours and colleagues to cast your vote for Kelly Edgar on October 22nd.”

Ed Smith

Kelly Edgar has been a strong voice for the people at regional council. He has stood against a storm of controversy and held fast to his values of transparency and integrity. It is not a coincidence that he was named in a lawsuit for actions he took to protect the public interest, he did not back down, and he won a victory for all of us. Kelly Edgar is the type of politician who can help us build A Better Niagara.

Renate and Kevin Hodges

Many Niagara Regional Councillors need to be swept from office in this year’s Municipal Elections. Kelly Edgar of St Catharines IS NOT one of them. Kelly tried, early on in this Council’s term, to raise the alarm over what was going on behind the scenes at the NPCA and the Region. As a result, Kelly was slapped with a lawsuit designed to silence him. During that time, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes, to keep concerned local groups up to date on the actions of the “Regional Cabal”. It took until last year to have that lawsuit struck down. Kelly once again became a leading voice in alerting voters to the many scandals that were playing out at the Region of Niagara. Kelly Edgar deserves to be one of your first choices for St. Catharines Regional Council in the October 22nd Municipal Elections.

Rob Welch

Kelly Edgar has been a beacon of integrity in this last term of Regional Council. He has represented the residents and ratepayers of St. Catharines, indeed all of Niagara, with honesty and diligence. He’s certainly a candidate I will support in the upcoming municipal election.

– Rob Welch

Linda Babb

I and many others, who have attended meetings of Regional Council have observed Kelly Edgar time and again speaking up and speaking out for transparency and accountability on behalf of residents of Niagara Region, and being shut down by other members of Council who clearly have a private agenda. I applaud Kelly for the leadership he has demonstrated on many levels. Travel opens the mind to explore ideas and opportunities observed in other countries and regions. Kelly’s depth and diversity of experience in the international arena as a Jaycees representative is exactly what is needed on a Council mandated to serve the best interests of the entire Region. Vision and experience gained in an international area is what is needed to take Niagara Region beyond limited parochialism. As stated in the Jaycees Creed, ‘Service to humanity is the best work of life’.

– Linda Babb

Kelly Edgar endorsed by Niagara Regional Labour Council

St. Catharines Regional Councillors Who Have Stood Tall For Their Constituents In The Face Of Caslin’s Cabal

When we received the good news this August 30th that the Ontario Ombudsman has agreed to come in and investigate serious questions around the hiring of Niagara Region’s CAO Carmen D’Angelo, two regional councillors that had a great deal to do with getting us to that good moment were not available for comment when we posted our first story on this news.

Those two councillors, both representing St. Catharines on the Region’s council, are Kelly Edgar and Brian Heit, and here are their responses to that news now, starting with one from Kelly Edgar –

‘Better Niagara’ Group Makes Its Endorsements Of Regional Council Candidates Who Believe In “Integrity, Transparency And Accountability”

Here’s the list of incumbent Regional Council members who we believe deserve to be re-elected, those who we think definitely should not be, and those on whom we are remaining neutral – Pelham’s Dave Augustyn, St. Catharines’ Kelly Edgar, Brian Heit and Debbie MacGregor, Thorold’s Henry D’Angela and Ted Luciani, and Welland’s George Marshall